1. Establishing a national psychological service collaboration network for psychological
services and implementing a psychological emergency volunteer service team
In 2018, the Working Committee for Psychology Popularization of the Chinese Psychological Society (CPS) initiated the development of the National Psychological Service Collaboration Network (referred to as “Collaboration Network”). As of 2023, the Collaboration Network has successfully trained 1,510 psychological science dissemination lecturers and established 687 outlets, spanning 28 provinces and 95 prefectural-level cities across the country. These science lecturers, representing various sectors such as judiciary, healthcare, community services, psychology organizations, and school population and minors’ guidance centers, actively engage in scientific outreach activities. These initiatives extend into villages, communities, enterprises, and schools, offering personalized and empathetic psychological services to the general population.
Building on the Collaboration Network’s foundation of the psychological science dissemination lecturers’ and workforce security for network units, the “China Association for Science and Technology Psychological Emergency Response Volunteer Service Team” (referred to as the “Service Team”) was officially established in September 2020 during the National Popularization of Science Day special event hosted by the Association for Science and Technology of China (ASTRAC). By 2032, the Service Team had set up 456 psychological emergency volunteer service stations, with 2,280 members standardized and trained.
Operating under the “China Psychological Emergency Volunteer Service Team” management approach, 13 provincial-level detachments in Shanxi, Henan, Guangdong, Jilin, Zhejiang, Gansu, Fujian, Shanghai, and others, along with 8 municipal detachments in cities like Shijiazhuang, Tangshan, and Hohhot, have been established. This marks the initial formation of a psychological emergency volunteer service network, aiming to normalize the provision of psychological emergency services through science popularization.
I. Mission and the Third Largest Rescue System:
Immediately after the Wenchuan earthquake, Zhang Kan drafted the “Psychological Suggestions for China’s Wenchuan Earthquake Relief Work,” providing timely professional guidance. The CPS set up an earthquake emergency response team and initiated a call for national psychologists to engage in psychological rescue work. The Psychological Crisis Intervention Committee was formed to organize experts and volunteers actively involved in emergency psychological crisis intervention and assistance. The slogan “20 years of psychological assistance” was introduced to emphasize the long-term commitment. The CPS has scientifically and continuously organized psychological assistance in over 20 disaster areas, safeguarding the mental and physical health of affected populations. Psychological assistance has been recognized as the third major rescue system after life rescue and material assistance, aiming to help affected individuals return to normal work and life swiftly.
2. Launching a psychological service hotline for science and technology workers: leveraging society’s strengths to support the well-being of professionals
During the main event of the National Science and Technology Workers’ Day in 2022, the “Psychological Service Hotline for Science and Technology Workers” was inaugurated, catering to professionals across diverse fields nationwide. This initiative, backed by online psychological self-assessment tools and stress reduction resources, aims to provide comprehensive support for science and technology workers, including psychological assessments, condition surveys, and counseling services. To ensure effective implementation, the CPS has organized relevant experts to develop the “Operational Standards and Psychological Guidance Manual for Psychological Hotlines” tailored specifically for science and technology workers. By October 2022, the hotline, mental health self-assessment tools, self-help psychological resources, and online psychological classrooms had collectively served 212,000 individuals.
From April to December 2022, as part of the “Party Building Program” of the CPS, the “Psychological Service Hotline for Science and Technology Workers” was actively promoted to high-tech enterprises and research institutions. Outreach efforts extended to notable entities such as Meituan, Baidu, Himalaya, the National Bureau of Meteorology, and the China Science and Technology Museum. In May 2022, the CPS further introduced the hotline to 47 enterprises, institutions, and agencies, gaining widespread acclaim. This outreach covered state-owned enterprises, central enterprises, various levels of trade unions, and group organizations.
In response to a request from the Ministry of Science and Industry in February 2023, the “Psychological Service Hotline for Science and Technology Workers” was specifically launched for employees of the National Defense Science and Industry Bureau. Additionally, in February 2023, an invitation was extended to conduct a program on “Psychological Ability Enhancement and Career Development” for National Defense Science and Industry Agency (NDSA) employees. The psychological service hotline is designed to address the unique characteristics of the science and technology worker population, offering targeted psychological protection and support services.
3. Launching “China in the Heart” popular science initiatives:
enhancing lives through psychology
Initiating the “China in the Heart” thematic popularization activities aims to narrate contemporary stories of Chinese people through a psychological lens, fostering an improved understanding of psychological science among the general public. This initiative serves to showcase China’s cultural confidence in the new era. Between 2019 and 2020, red-themed psychological learning activities were conducted in Ruijin, Hangzhou, and Yan’an. These activities involved unearthing high-quality psychological service cases, conducting interviews, and producing feature documentaries that explore the resilient vitality of frontline psychological workers. Character interviews and thematic documentaries actively demonstrated the robust vitality of frontline psychological workers, contributing to the development of the Chinese model of psychological services.
From 2021 to 2023, three consecutive high-level “‘China in the Heart’ National College Students 525 Psychological Knowledge Contests” were organized. Focusing on psychological topics relevant to the new youth and enhancing the psychological science literacy of college students, the event garnered active support from nearly 100 colleges and universities in 2021. Over 20,000 college students participated, contributing 200 pieces of core knowledge in psychological science and 100 key technical points. The news reports generated more than 300,000 views. In 2022, the event attracted 48,000 college student participants nationwide, accumulating a display volume of 479,000 across various online platforms. In 2022, “China in the Heart” expanded its scope to encompass a public welfare activity dedicated to the psychological well-being of children and adolescents. Targeting essential groups such as principals, teachers, and parents, more than 60 live broadcasts were conducted as of May 2023, accumulating a cumulative total of 510,000 views on the WeChat video platform.
4. Pioneering the “China Psychological Industry Expo”: fostering public understanding and industry-academia-research integration
The groundbreaking “China Psychological Industry Expo,” encompassing two sessions of the “China Psychological Industry Expo and Psychological Industry Development Forum” (referred to as “Psychological Expo”), unfolded successfully in 2018-2019. The Psychological Expo served as a centralized platform showcasing the panoramic landscape of the psychological industry, featuring 260 standard booths spanning government, equipment, public welfare, high-tech, psychological education and training, health, Internet psychological services, culture, and art. Concurrently, the event hosted the “China Psychology Industry Development Forum” and “Psychology Research Summit Forum,” incorporating nearly 30 special lectures and reports. With the participation of over 1,000 government leaders, psychology experts, and industry organization leaders, and attracting more than 20,000 visitors, the Psychological Expo solidified its status as a premier industry gathering.
To establish a high-level communication platform for the industry, the “Think Tank Symposium on the Development of Psychology Industry” took place during the Psychological Expo, with a focus on the “Public Service Capacity Enhancement Project of the Chinese Association for Science and Technology – Carrying out the ‘Three Libraries’ Project” spearheaded by the CPS. Delving into topics such as the “Public Service Capacity Improvement Project of the Chinese Association for Science and Technology – Carrying out the Pilot Construction of the ‘Three Libraries’ and Undertaking the Transfer of Functions from the Government,” the symposium harnessed the power of charity and public welfare, advancing psychological services. Notably, the event successfully organized the “Psychological Expo – Charity Night.” The CCTV “Psychological Interview” program team stationed at the Psychological Expo venue, conducting over three hours of editorial coverage and live webcasting. Additionally, the Psychological Expo garnered extensive media coverage, releasing multiple rounds of reports in over 100 media outlets such as People’s Daily Online, Guangming.com, Sohu, Sina, Tencent, Today’s Headlines, contributing significantly to the dissemination of psychological science and technology.
5. Psychological poverty alleviation: fostering aspirations, wisdom, and home-school co-education for child well-being
Elevating the scientific literacy of farmers stands as a pivotal challenge in science popularization. The Working Committee for Psychology Popularization of the CPS has ardently undertaken the mission of disseminating psychological science to farming families since 2017. Through the Psychological Poverty Alleviation Program, CPSPWC has organized over 40 science popularization lectures and family education workshops in villages, kindergartens, primary and secondary schools in Kulun Banner of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. This outreach has impacted nearly 10,000 families and over 40 schools in the region, resulting in a significant enhancement of the family education capabilities of farmer parents.
Rooted in poverty alleviation efforts for many years, Associate Researcher Wang Ligang, the current director of the Working Committee for Psychology Popularization, edited and published “Home and School Education – Foster the Positive Change” in 2022. This project aims to promote rural children’s mental health, employing home-school co-education as a strategy to unite schools, communities, and families to optimize the parenting environment. Acknowledging that every child is part of a family, the project team focuses on children’s educational challenges. Through home visits, parent-teacher association workshops, and theme class meeting workshops, the initiative seeks to involve more farmer parents in psychological science popularization. The ultimate goal is to innovate the mode of psychological science communication, realizing a new paradigm where psychological science is “willing to learn, able to learn, and able to apply.”
